Steel frame construction with the engineering done in-house

It depends on the span and the load. For long clear spans, heavy loads and fast erection, steel often comes out ahead once labour and schedule are counted. For short spans in houses, engineered wood can be cheaper, and steel prices move with the market. Our engineers can compare the options for your layout before you commit, so the choice is based on your building rather than a rule of thumb.

Usually, yes. We fence off the work area, schedule deliveries and crane lifts around your shipping hours, and set columns and beams before the deck goes on. The noisiest work, drilling anchors and cutting, can be planned for quieter shifts. We agree the phasing and the protected walkways with you before we mobilize, so forklifts and crews stay apart.

In most cases, yes. A mezzanine adds floor area and load, so the municipality reviews the structure, guards, exits and, in some buildings, fire protection. Ontario’s Building Code Act prohibits construction without a required permit and requires the work to follow the approved drawings. Our in-house engineering department prepares the structural drawings and the permit application.

Where the Ontario Building Code requires an architect’s or engineer’s design, it also requires their general review during construction, and the owner commits to it on a form at permit stage. On our projects, the plan is for our engineers to review shop drawings, visit the site at key stages such as anchor bolts and connections, and confirm the work matches the design, so problems are raised early.

Interior steel in a dry building needs little beyond a periodic look for damage, such as forklift impacts on columns or racking. Exterior steel, steel near loading doors and steel in parking areas needs its coating inspected and touched up, because corrosion starts wherever paint or galvanizing is damaged. We inspect members and connections and repair damaged steel and coatings.